Nephropathy in Chronic Lead Poisoning / 예방의학회지

We experienced a case of nephropathy in chronic lead poisoning. The patient was 43-year-old male who has been working in secondary lead smelting plant for ]4 years. On admission, blood pressure was 160/90 mmHg and the others were non-specific. In past history, he received chelating agent administration for lead poisoning irregularly and medicated for gout, and the blood lead concentration was 180.0 microgram/dl on 2 months before admission. Smoking habit has been 1 pack per day for 15 years and drinking habit has been 1 bottle of Soju per day but less now. In liver function test, AT/ALT were 27/28 IU/l and gamma-GT was 456 IU/l. In blood test, Hb:11. 5 g/dl , Hct: 34.0% and basophilic stipplings were found in peripheral blood smear. Chest PA was normal and abdominal ultrasonographic finding was non-specific except fatty liver. In the test of lead exposure indices, pbB: 83.0 microgram/dl, pbU: 28.3 microgram/l, and blood ZPP was 300.0 microgram/dl. And in renal function test, BUN: 31.4 mg/dl, blood creatinine: 2.7mg/dl, blood uric acid: 9.1 mg/dl, urinary albumin: 100.0 mg/g creatinine, urinary a alpha 1-microglobulin: 120.5 mg/g creatinine, urinary beta2-mioroglobulin: 183.8 microgram/g creatinine, and 24 hours urinary creatinine clearance was 31.9 ml/min. The ultasonoguided renal biopsy showed the global sclerosis of glomerulus, moderate atrophy and loss of tubule, and interstitial fibrosis in light microscopy. There were diffuse losses of brush border of proximal tubule in electronmicroscopy.

Multiple Brain Calcification in Chronic Lead Poisoning / 예방의학회지

We experienced a case of occupational lead poisoning employed in a secondary lead smelting plant for 12 years. The patient was 39-year-old male and had been felt dizziness, recent memory impairment and intermittent severe abdominal pain for 2 years. On admission, blood lead level was 92.9 microgram/dl, urinary lead level was 19,9 microgram/l and zinc protoporphyrin level was 226.0 microgram/dl. On the blood test, hemoglobin was 10.6 g/dl and showed normocytic normochromic anemia. There were no abnormal findings in the biochemical and hormonal tests. Decrease of I.Q. and use of words in speaking were found in the psychiatric and psychologic examinations. We observed the finding of motor polyneuropathy in the nerve conduction velocity test. Computed tomographic finding showed calcification lesions in the basal ganglia, dentate nuclei, caudate nuclei, and especially characteristic multiple calcifications were located in the subcortical white matter.

Study on the Pulmonary Function in Welding Fume Exposed Workers / 예방의학회지

In order to study the effect of welding fume exposure upon the pulmonary function test, we examined 131 shielded arc welding workers, and 152 CO2 arc welding workers as cases and 172 control workers for their general characteristics, and forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1.0) forced expiratory volume in one second as a percent of FVC(FEV1.0%), and maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMF) were obtained from in the spirogram. In shielded arc welding group and CO2 arc welding group, FVC, FEV1.0, FEV1.0%, and MMF were significantly decreased than control group, especially marked in the MMF finding. The distribution of workers below normal range was as follows: in the shielded arc welding group, 2 workers(l.5%) for FVC, 17 workers(13.0%) for FEV1.0, 5 workers(3.8%) for FEV1.0%, 28 workers(21.4%) for MMF, and in the CO2 arc welding group, 3 workers(2.0%) for FVC, 25 workers(16.4%) for FEV1.0, 8 workers(5.3%) for FEV1.0% and 37 workers(24.3%) for MMF, and significant increase by exposure duration was found in MMF. The distribution of workers who had ventilation impairment was as follows: 5 workers(3.8%) for obstructive type, 2 workers(l.5%) for restrictive type in the shielded arc welding group and, workers(4.6%) for obstructive type. 2 workers(l.3%) for restriotive type, and 1 worker(0.6%) was combined type of the CO2 arc welding group. In the respect of these results the significant pulmonary function and ventilatory impairment were observed in welding fume exposed workers who had not abnormal finding in chest X-ray, and MMF considered as the most sensitive pulmonary function index by welding fume exposure. Therefore even if it is hard to doing pulmonary function test in the first health examination of workers according to the Industrial Safety Health Act in the welding fume exposure workers. it is desirable to consider doing PFT. Also evaluating the ventilation impairment, it is necessary, to observe the change of MMF that marker of effort-independent portion.

A Follow-up Study on the Personal Noise Exposed Dose and Hearing Loss / 예방의학회지

For the purpose of presenting the basic data for the establishment of control measures on the long-term noise exposed workers, this study was carried or on the relationship between personal noise exposed dose and hearing loss on the 67 male workers whose hearing threshold had exceeded 40dB in 4,000Hz, from 1990 to 1992. Conclusively, the level of hearing loss was significantly related to personal noise exposed dose which was measured by the personal noise dosemeter was more efficient rather than the noise level of workplace for the evaluating the long-term change of hearing acuity. And although in the case of not-diagnosed as noise induced hearing loss, it was suspected that the active control programs such as improvement of noisy environment or early transfer to proper workplace were needed on the workers who exposed with over 90dB in personal noise exposed dose.

Relationship Between The Biological Lead Exposure Indices And Air Lead Concentrations Measured By Personal Air Samplers / 예방의학회지

This study was carried out to evaluate the relationship between the biological lead exposure indices and air lead concentrations measured by personal air samplers. The 72 occupationally lead exposed workers were observed and the biological lead exposure indices chosen for this study were blood lead(PuB), urine lead(PbU), zinc protoporphyrin in whole blood(ZPP), gamma-aminolevulinic acid in urine(ALAU), gamma-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity(ALAD), coproporphyrin in urine(CPU) and hemoglobin(Hb). The workers were divided into four groups by air lead concentrations: Group I; under 0.05 mg/m3, Group II; 0.05-0.10 mg/m3, Group III; 0.10-0.15 mg/m3 and Group IV; and over 0.15 mg/m3. For evaluation the relationship between the biological lead exposure indices and air lead concentrations was used as correlation coefficients. The results obtained were as follows: 1. In Group I, II, III and IV, the mean value of PbB were 25.45+/-1.84 microgram/dl, 27.87+/-3.53 microgram/dl, 31.21+/-1.76 microgram/dl and 47.02+/-13.96 microgram/dl. Between Group IV and other groups showed statistically significant difference(p<0.05). 2. There was an increasing tendency of PbB, PbU, ALAU and ZPP according to the increase the mean air lead concentration, while ALAD has decreasing tendency. CPU and Hb did not show any constant tendency. 3. Correlation coefficients between PbB, PbU, ZPP, ALAU, ALAD, CPU, Hb and air lead concentration were 0.95, 0.83, 0.89, 0.72, -0.83, 0.51 and -0.45 respectively, and regression coefficient between PbB(Y) and PbA(X) was Y=126.8746X+16.9996(P<0.01).

Clinical trial of chelating agents administration on subelinical lead poisoning workers / 대한산업의학회지

No abstract available.

The levels of blood lead and zinc protoporphyrin for healthy urban population in Korea / 예방의학회지

Hemoglobin(Hb), zinc protoporphyrin(ZPP) and blood lead(PbB) levels were determined for 1,851 blood samples collected from healthy urban population to establish reliable baselines for Hb, ZPP and PbB levels by age and sex. ZPP values were analyzed with a Hmatofluorometer and PbB determinations were concurrently carried out using flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The blood sampling period was about 6 months from May, 1991 and the summarized results were as follows; 1. The mean value of Hb in male female were 14.55+/-1.81 g/dl and 12.61+/-1.81 g/dl respectively and there was statistically significant difference(p<0.05). 2. The mean value of ZPP in pre-schoolchildren was 37.49+/-13.31 microgram/dl for male, 35.77+/-11.85 microgram/dl for female and that of ZPP in after 7 years groups was 31.91+/-8.23 microgram/dl for male, 30.11+/-9.11 microgram/dl for female and there was statistically significant difference(p<0.05). 3. The mean value of PbB in pre-schoolchildren was 25.10+/-5.21 microgram/dl for male, 24.45+/-4.18 microgram/dl for female and that of PbB in after 7 years groups was 24.28+/-3.00 microgram/dl for male, 21.99+/-5.05 microgram/dl for female and there was statistically significant difference(p<0.05).

A Study on the Influences of Lead Exposure on the Blood Pressure Level in Industrial Workers / 대한산업의학회지

For the purpose of establishing the preventive program against the health consequences of lead exposure and obtaining the effective biological monitoring data, the author investigated the values of biological parameters relating to lead exposure and the degree of influences on blood pressure level by these parameters including general characteristics in 192 female industrial workers dealing with lead(lead-exposed group) and 126 female official workers(non-exposed group). The summarized results were as follows; 1. Between the lead-exposed group and non-exposed group, the significant differences were showed in urinary coproporphyrin, urinary delta-aminolevulinic acid, urinary lead and blood lead amount. 2. Between the low blood lead group(less than 30 microgram/dl) and high blood lead group(more than 30 microgram/dl) in lead-exposed group, there were significant differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, urinary coproporphyrin, urinary lead and blood lead. 3. Among the parameters relating to lead exposure, the distribution of concentration of urinary coproporphyrin, urinary lead and blood lead showed normal distributed type in lead-exposed and non-exposed group. But the case of urinary delta-aminolevulinic acid showed bimodal type. On the other hand, dividing the lead-exposed group into low blood lead and high blood lead group, irregular distributed type were showed in all 4 kinds of parameters. 4. The parameters relating to lead exposure which showed significant correlation to blood pressure were absent in non-exposed group, but there were statistically significant simple correlation among the diastolic blood pressure and urinary lead and blood lead in high blood lead group. 5. The distribution of blood pressure by the concentration of parameters relating to lead exposure were not showed specific mode in non-exposed group, but there was increasing tendency with the higher concentration of parameters relating to lead exposure in lead-exposed group. Especially in high blood lead group, the increasing tendency of blood pressure with the level of urinary lead and blood lead were predominant. 6. The opportunity to explain variation of each blood pressure by the 4 kinds of parameters relating to lead exposure were 11.0-12.6% in lead exposed group and 12.0-15.4% in high blood lead group comparing to 5.3-6.1% in non-exposed group.